item details
NameAtua #4
ProductionDarryn George; artist; 2011; Christchurch
Classificationpaintings
Materialsoil paint, canvas
Materials Summaryoil on canvas
Techniquespainting
Dimensionssupport: 2148mm (width), 1505mm (height), 38mm (depth)
Registration Number2013-0011-1
Credit linePurchased 2013
Overview
Atua is the Māori translation for God. Repeated over and over, the word appears like a prayer for help. Sometimes small and whispered in the quiet; at others, appearing on a large scale and cried out in alarm.
Darryn George, 2011
Atua #4 is part of a series of paintings Darryn George made in response to the Christchurch earthquake of February 2011. Kupu reo (Māori words) such as rata (doctor) and manukura (leader) are the main visual element of the paintings.
The kupu, George explains, operate as titles for support services needed in times of crisis, but are also used more profoundly as ‘signposts of hope’.